Bathtub construction

ABSTRACT

A BATHTUB FORMED WITH A WATER DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ARRANGED ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE TUB ADJACENT THE WATER ENTRY TO THE TUB, WITH THE CHANNEL FORMED TO GUIDE THE ENTERING WATER HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TUB, WHENCE THE WATER FALLS ALONG THE SIDE WALLS TO CONTINUOSULY WASH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TUB AS THE WATER IS BEING ADMITTED THERETO, TO PREVENT WATER FALLING THROUGH AIR TO ELIMINATE SPLASHING, AND TO IMPART A SWIRLING, MIXING MOTION TO WATER IN THE TUB. THE CHANNEL IS FORMED WITH AN INNER WALL OF PROGRESSIVELY DESCREASING HEIGHT SERVING TO IMPLEMENT DESIRED DIRECTION OF THE WATER.

May 25, 1971 G. GIGLlo 3,579,667

BATHTUB CONSTRUCTION Filed June 5, 1969 FIG. r. FIG. 3;

INVENTOR GINO GIGLIO United States Patent O T 3,579,667 BATHTUBCONSTRUCTION Gino Giglio, 32 Cornelia St., New York, N.Y. 10014 FiledJune 5, 1969, Ser. No. 830,642 Int. Cl. A47k 3/00 U.S. Cl. 4-181 4Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bathtub formed With a waterdistribution channel arranged along one side of the tub adjacent thewater entry to the tub, with the channel formed to guide the enteringwater horizontally along the upper edges of the side walls of the tub,whence the water falls along the side walls to continuously wash theside walls of the tub as the water is being admitted thereto, to preventwater falling through air to eliminate splashing, and to impart aswirling, mixing motion to water in the tub. The channel is formed withan inner wall of progressively decreasing height serving to implementdesired direction of the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the art of bathapparatus, and more particularly to an improved 'bathtub providing forsilent non-splash filling, with the entering water continuously washingthe surfaces of the tub, mixing with and stirring the previouslyadmitted Water, and ultimately deposited at a point remote from thedrain, thus not interfering with and enhancing bathtub drainage,facilitating the maintenance of cleanliness of the tub, and facilitatingthe mixture of bath oils, bubble soaps, or medicaments in the tub, andeliminating hot or cold spots in the tub material itself, and in thepreviously admitted water.

Conventional bathtubs, as widely known, are usually formed with waterinlets and drainage fittings at the center of one end of the tub bottom.This is done in order to facilitate plumbing installation, permittingall the plumbing connections to be made in one end of the tub to asingle pipe containing wall. Though facilitating plumbing installation,these conventional tubs are subject to a variety of difficulties. Thus,the conventionally used water inlet spigots project either into the tub,or from the Wall above the tub producing a dangerous projectionpotentially injurious to the tub user. Additionally, the water fillingspigot causes the water to fall into the tub producing undesired noiseand splashing resulting in damage to the surrounding wall area, andrequiring cleaning. Other problems arise in that with the water inletand the drain on the same end of the tub, the splashing of the waterfrom the filling spigot tends to displace the used water being drainedfrom the tub, and where it is desired to rinse out the tub after use,simultaneous filling and drainage is substantially unobtainable.Additionally, in filling the conventional tub, to hand sense thetemperature of the incoming water it is necessary for the user to reachover to the centrally positioned spigot requiring bending and theassumption of an unsafe and awkward position of unbalance. Further, itis found that mixture of the water in the tub is uneven, with resultanthot and cold spots in the water as well as in the material from whichthe tub is made.

In an attempt to overcome some of these problems, a variety of bathtubshave been evolved in the past, which though suggestive of theelimination of some of the problems, require plumbing of the tub itselfwhich mitigates against eicient tub manufacture since it is difficult,if not impossible to mold conventional conduits formed of pipe into aconventional cast iron or ceramic tub, or do 3,579,667 Patented May 25,1971 not attain desired results sufficiently to Warrant a change in thewidely accepted tub construction.

Thus More in U.S. Pat. 3,198,631 recognized the desirability ofpositioning the water inlets remote from the drain. However, thisnecessitated plumbing conduits in the tub.

Exton-Porter in U.S. Pat. 2,705,329 recognizes the problems of providinga desired mixture of hot and cold water, and the desirability ofintroducing water to the tub at a point remote from the drain, however,as with More, extensive additional plumbing in the tub walls isrequired.

Carroll in U.S. Pat. 2,993,213 recognizes the problem of effecting amixture of water, and the problem of eliminating projecting spigots,but, like More and Exton- Porter produces a structure requiring plumbingof the tub, which requires positioning of pipes in the tub walls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is with the above considerationsin mind, that the present improved bathtub has been provided serving t0permit production of a bathtub by conventional tub forming techniques,not requiring plumbing pipes in the tub, and not requiring a change fromconventional plumbing practices. The novel tub functions to introducewater at a point remote from the standard drainage outlet of the tub ina fashion such that the introduced water is mixed, and additionallyprovides for the introduction of the water in a fashion such as to Washover the surfaces of the tub, warming or cooling the tub surfaces,serving to clean same, and eliminate splashing and noise.

It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide animproved bathtub construction subject to being formed by conventionalbathtub fabrication techniques, and subject to installation withoutrequiring plumbing other than that conventionally employed forinstalling a bathtub.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bathtub in which theadmission of water to the tub does not interfere with the drainage ofthe tub and in fact enhances drainage, without requiring more thanconventional plumbing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bathtub in whichcleaning is facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bathtub in which watersplashage and noise on admission of water is eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bathtub in whichdangerous projections, such as produced by conventional water inletspigots is eliminated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bathtub constructionpermitting the user to test the temperature of the water being admittedwithout having to assume an unsafe awkward posture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bathtub in which tubstaining at the point of admission of water is substantially hidden.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bathtub insuringmixing of the contents to eliminate hot and cold spots in tub materialand contents and to facilitate mixing of introduced bath oils, bubblesoaps or medications.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafterapparent are achieved by forming a bathtub with an entry inlet at theupper edge of the tub adjacent one end thereof. Extending from thiswater entry inlet is a water `guide channel formed in one of the sidewalls of said tub extending from the water inlet t0 a central part ofthe side wall, with the channel contoured to guide the water so that itflows into the tub around the walls thereof and falls over the interiorsurfaces of the walls of the tub to wash same. The channel is formed hotand cold Water within tub, as well as any bath oils, bubble bath, ormedications used in the tub.

Upon draining of the tub, the water which is admitted to rinse the tubdoes not interfere with the passage of water to the drain, and in factenhances any washing down of foreign matter towards the drain by virtueof the fact that the Water being admitted moves over the side walls ofthe tub and then washes toward the drain, thereby washing the bottomsurface 20.

The upstanding inner walls 36 of the channel 32 not only serve to guidethe water in the channel, but also provide a hand grip to aid the userof the tub in standing up, as will be apparent.

It is thus seen that a simple bathtub construction has been providedreadily subject to fabrication by conventional bathtub fabricationtechniques, which does not increase the cost of production, and whichserves to improve the facility with which the tub may be used, enhancingthe cleanliness of the tub, the mixture of water in the tub, andproviding a more useful, safer, and cleaner appearing tub.

What is claimed is:

1. Bath apparatus comprising a bathtub having spaced side walls, endwalls and a bottom wall defining a water containing bathing recess, Witha smooth transition surface between said walls; at least one water inletopening in one of said end Walls adjacent the upper end thereof; and awater guide channel along at least one of said side Walls extendingdirectly from said Water inlet to a central part of said wall, saidchannel contoured in transverse cross-section With a substantiallyhorizontally extending bottom surface having an outer edge parallel tothe top of the tub, an outer channel Wall extending vertically from thebottom channel surface to the top of said tub, and an inner channel wallupstanding from the bottom channel surface, said inner channel wallbeing of a progressively decreasing height as measured from the bottomchannel surface decreasing in height from the part of the channeladjacent the Water inlet opening toward a point on said channel remotefrom said Water inlet opening, and said bottom channel surface beinginclined downwardly from the water inlet.

2. Bath apparatus as in claim 1 in which said inner channel wall mergesat a transition surface With said channel bottom surface.

3. Bath apparatus as in claim 1 in which said water guide channel mergesat a transition surface with the tub side wall along which said channelextends.

4. Bath apparatus as in claim 1 having a Water inlet opening on an endWall adjacent both side walls, and a water guide channel positionedalong each side wall eX- tending from said Water inlet openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 962,240 6/1910 Neal 4-1811,393,482 10/1921 Abraham et al. 4-181 2,529,568 1l/l950 OHara 4-1732,679,652 6/1954 Eyring 4-181 2,705,329 4/1955 Porter 4-173 LAVERNE D.GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner

